The Hello Foundation

3 Ways to Play More at Work

February 10, 2017 by Kira Wright

We often hear that play is important for developing healthy and happy brains. As a school-based SLP, I am in a unique position to bring play into the days of my students and co-workers – and into my own day, as well! Dr. Stuart Brown, play researcher and TED talk presenter on play, recommends incorporating more “joyful, non-repetitive activities” into our lives! Here are 3 ways I’ve identified to bring play back into my work day (while still getting my work done!):

schedule a PLAYdate – Use your love of social to your advantage by working collaboratively. Reach out to your OT and PT to see if there are any scenarios that might work for co-treatment. That really challenging student? See if you can snag 15 minutes with 2 other adults that work with him (teachers? aides? specialists?). Chances are you’re all seeing some of the same behaviors. Generating some ideas together is easier than thinking on your own, and will probably lead to more consistency across his day. You can up the PLAY-factor by putting some chocolate out on the table or brewing a pot of tea!

As a part of our focus on Play at The Hello Foundation this year, I read this article from the American Psychological Association on link between laughing and learning. It’s easy to see this link in the kids we work with. Laughter helps us let our guard down, open up, become slightly more vulnerable. And from there we can learn to take on something new. What do you do to increase laughter, learning, and play in your therapy sessions?

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The Hello Foundation proudly supports children and families in schools, in our clinic, and in your home through online therapy. Our clinicians specialize in Speech-Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, School Psychology, Assistive Technology, Autism Support and Early Intervention.